Street-car fender.



R. H. POGUE.

STREET GAR FENDER. APPLICATION FILED MAR.17, 191s.

Patented Apr. 21; 19m

Z 2 a L 6m 6 7 ll 6. 4. ww un: g a m 32 w s w wo 2 w 04 Ah 2 Ill/VENTORWITNESSES oim A4W# ATTORNEY ROBERT H. POGUE, OF NEW WESTMINSTER, BRITISHCOLUMBIA, CANADA.

STREET-CAR FENDER.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

Application filed March 17, 1913. Serial No. 754,814.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ROBERT H. Poeun, acitizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at the city of NewVestminster, in the Prov- 5 ince of British Columbia, Canada, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Car Fenders, ofwhich the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a car fender of that class wherein the frontend of the main fender is normally sustained clear of the track and isautomatically lowered to the track level by contact of its advance railwith an obstacle on the track.

The improvement comprises the construction of the vertical andhorizontal components of the main fender frame to'move as one inlowering the front rail of it to the track, whereby a more prompt actionin the dropping of the front end is insured. Improvement is alsodirected to the manner of supporting the main fender frame in its normalposition clear of the track and in breaking that support to lower itwhen required whereby a simpler and more effective fender is produced.

The invention also includes a provision whereby the main fender may bereleased to allow it to drop to the track level, by the motorman withoutthe necessity of engagement with an obstacle, thus enabling the motormanto anticipate the automatic action; and also means enabling the mainfender to be restored to its normal position by the motorman from withinthe car.

The invention also shows the application of a supplemental fender orwheel guard to comply with the requirements of certain municipalitiesaimed to prevent a body, which may be prone on the track and fails tooperate the advance release, from passing under the wheels of the car.This supplemental fender is operable with the front or main one, and hasin addition a separate release.

The invention is particularly described in the following specification,reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of the main and supplemental fendersin their normal position. Fig. 2 is the same view showing the fenders aslowered to the track in the operative position. Fig. 3 is a plan of themain fender. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the main fender folded up asout of use, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail showing the operation ofthe fender release, the full lines showing it in the normal position andthe dot and dash lines as when lowered.

The supplemental fender or wheel guard shown to the left under the carin Figs. 1 and 2, is free from the requirement of having to be folded upagainst the front end of the car. It comprises an open rectangular frame.40, the sides of which are L shaped in elevation, to form the uprightand horizontally extended portions of the supplemental fender. The upperrail of this frame 4L0 is suspended by brackets 43* to the under frameof the car, so that, without other support, the front rail of thesupplemental fender will drop to the track level with a radial backwardmovement. This supplemental fender frame is supported in the horizontalposition against this tendency to fall, from a rocking shaft 19 mountedin well braced brackets '20 from the under frame of the car, on each endof which rocking shaft are rocking shaft levers 18 which arepin-connected at 16* to links 15 pivotally mounted on a cross rail 11,which extends across betweenthe sides of the fender frame at the rear.The links 15 and levers 18 are so applied on their respective rail 11and rocking shaft l9 that when the front rail of the supplemental fenderis in its normal position clear of the track, the pin-connections 16 arein the straight line between the axial centers of 11 and 15 and theconnection affords direct support as a strut. Beyond the pin-connections16 the rocking shaft levers 18 are produced and upwardly bent for theattachment to them at 25'? of the mechanism by which this strut systemis broken upward to allow the front rail of the supplemental fender tofall to the track level.

The tripping of the supplement-a1 fender 40 is effected by an open frame36, 39 suspended from the under frame of the car and extending acrossthe width of the track, which frame is connected by rods 34 to the endsof the lovers 18 of the strut support of the supplemental fender at 25*,so that if an obstacle is on the track it will engage the lower rail 39of the swinging frame 36 and the supplemental fender will be releasedand will drop to the track.

The fender supporting mechanism is the same whether used on the mainfender or on the supplemental fender and the release of it by breakingthe strut system upward is the same.

Where the main fender is required to be upfolded against the end of thecar, as shown in the front fender on the right in Figs. 1 and 2, theframe of this front or main fender, instead of being in one section orpiece as is the case of the supplemental fender 40", is composed of twosections, that is, the vertical frame 2, connected by brackets 4 to thefront end of the car under frame, and the horizontal section or frame 3,pin-connected at 5 to the ends of 2. The frames 2 and 3 are retained inl. shape by an articulated brace or stayon each side, composed of thelinks 6 and 7, pinconnected together at 10, and to the vertical frame at8 and to the horizontal frame 9, and the end of each link 7 is producedbeyond the pin-connection 10 and is bent over the upper side of thefront edge of the link 6 to form a stop joint which will break onlyupward. The ends of the frame 2 adjacent to the pin-connection 5 have across stay 11, and a similar stay may extend between the ends of 8. Aswith the supplemental fender before described, this main fender issupported in the horizontal position with its front end clear of thetrack, from a rocking shaft 19 mounted in bearings in brackets 20downwardly projecting from the under frame of the car, connection beingmade on each side from the cross rail 11 to this rocking shaft by thelink 15 and lever 18 pinconnected at 16, and the lever 18 is producedand bent upward for the connection to it at 25 of the releasingmechanism. This release of the fender strut system 15, 18 is automatically efiected from an advance rail 28 which is, projected in advance ofthe front rail of the fender frame 2, the rail 23 being carried on twomembers 22 secured to and backwardly projecting from it. These members22 are slidable in keepers 24 secured to the front rail of the fenderframe 3 and their after ends may rest on the cross rail of this frame.These members 22 are upwardly bent rearwardly beyond this support on thecross rail and are connected by the links 21 to the pins 16 of theextensions of the levers 18. This link connection is only necessary tofacilitate the upfolding ofthe horizontal section of the fender.

From the position of the motorman within the car, the strut system 15,16, 18, which supports the main fender clear of the track is brokenupward to effect the lowering of the front end of it to the track level,by a treadle rod 32 the lower end of which is connected to one arm of abell crank lever 29 pivotally' mounted at 30 to the underside of the carbody. The other arm of this bell crank is connected by a lever 88 to alever 28 secured on the rocking shaft 19 and when the treadle rod 32 ispressed down the connection will partially rotate that shaft to breakthe strut system. The lever 38 is pivoted at 87 to the swinging frame36. The head 33 of the treadle rod 32 may be formed as a stirrup thatwill offer a handle by which the mechanism may be pulled upward, so thatthe motorman may, from within the car, restore the fender to its normalposition.

In use, the horizontal frame?) of the front or main fender and thehorizontal portion of the supplemental fender 40 are normally supportedclear of the track by the articulated struts, that of the supplementalfender being slightly lower toward the track than that of the mainfender, owing to its less distance from the center of verticaloscillation of the car. Whenthe advance rail 23, or failing it, thecross rail 39 of the swing ing frame 36, engages an obstacle on thetrack, it is pressed back and, by its connection to the upwardly turnedends of the levers 18, breaks upward the supporting strut system 15, 18and 15, 18 of both fenders, if two are used, and allows their front endsto fall backward and downward to the track level. the obstacle shouldhappen to roll under the front or main fender, it will engage thehanging rail 89 of the supplemental fender, and the front edge of thatfender will drop to the track and prevent the body from passing underthe wheels or under the car. If a body or an obstruction on the trackshould be noticed by the motorman before the car reaches it, he caninstantaneously effect the release of and drop both fenders to the tracklevel in time to prevent the obstacle from passing under the car.

As the vertical and horizontal sections or parts of the main fenderframe face as one, the overhanging weight from the point of support issuliicient to insure that it will drop promptly, when released, and thesus pension pivot being well above the normal position of the front railof the fender as well as behind it, allows the desired backward movementof the front 'rail as it falls, which movement frequently saves thelimbs of a body from getting under the front rail of the fender andprevents the body from falling to the track level. This backwardmovement also lessens the shock of impact. The manner of support in thenormal position issimple and direct, as also is the mechanism by whichthat support is broken to effect the lowering of the fender. Eitherfender may be used alone, or they may be used together as shown and maybe covered with any approved covering of chains or straps or springs.Where the two fenders areused on a car, they are rendered cooperativetogether by connecting If for any reason its at 37 the rods 38 of themain fender release to the swinging frame 36 of the supplemental fender.

Having now particularly described my invention, I hereby declare thatwhat I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a car fender, the combination of a substantially rectangularfender frame, the sides of which are of L shape, means for suspendingthe upper end of this frame from the body of the car, means forsupporting the frame with the lower rail of it clear of the track, saidmeans comprising a rocking shaft supported from the under-frame of thecar and extending across behind the fender frame, levers secured on thisrocking shaft which levers are connected by links to the verticalcomponent of the L shape sides of the frame, the pins connecting thelevers to the links being normally in alinement between the rockingshaft and the attachment of the links to the frame, and means for movingthe lever upward to allow the front end of the fender frame to fall.

2. In a car fender, the combination of a substantially rectangularfender frame, the sides of which are of l. shape, means for suspendingthe upper end of this frame from the body of the car, means forsupporting the frame with the lower rail of it clear of the track, saidmeans comprising a rocking shaft supported from the under-frame of thecar and extending across behind the fender frame, levers secured on thisrocking shaft which levers are connected by links to the verticalcomponent of the l. shaped sides of the frame, the pins connecting thelevers to the links being normally in alinement between the rockingshaft and the attachment of the links to the frame, means for moving thelever upward to allow the frontend of the fender frame to fall, a framesuspended from the car in advance of the fender and means for connectingthe lower end of this frame to the rocking shaft to break the stabilityof the supports between that shaft and the fender frame.

3. In a car fender, the combination of a substantially rectangularfender frame, the sides of which are of L shape, means for suspendingthe upper end of this frame from the body of the car, means forsupporting the frame with the lower rail of it clear of the track, saidmeans comprising a rocking shaft supported from the underframe of thecar and extending across behind the fender frame, levers secured on thisrocking shaft which levers are connected by links to the verticalcomponent of the L shape sides of the frame, the pins connecting thelevers to the links being normally in alinement between the rockingshaft and the attachment of the links to the frame, means for moving thelever upward to allow the front end of the fender frame to fall, a framesuspended fro-m the car in advance of the fender, means for connectingthe lower end of this frame to the rocking shaft to break the stabilityof the supports between that shait and the fender frame, a treadle rodprojecting upward through the front end of the car platform and meansfor connecting the lower end of that rod to a lever on the rocking shaftby which down ward pressure on the rod will break the stability of theconnection between the rocking shaft and the fender frame,

4. In a car fender, the combination of a substantially rectangularfender frame the sides of which are L shaped, means for suspending thisframe by its upper rail from the body of the car, means for supportingthe frame with the lower rail of it clear of the track, said meanscomprising, a rocking shaft supported from the under-frame of the carand extending across behind the fender frame, levers secured on thisrocking shaft, which levers are link-connected to the lower part of thevertical component of the fender, the pins connecting the levers to thelinks being normally in alinement between the rocking shaft and theconnection of the links to the frame, and an advance rail havingbackwardly projecting members secured to it which are slidably mountedon the front rail of the fender frame and are connected to the ends ofthe levers on the rocking shaft.

5. In a car fender, the combination of a substantially rectangularfender frame suspended by one end from the front end of the car anddepending toward the track, a similar frame pinconnected to the lowerend of the hanging frame, meansifor sustaining these frames at rightangles to one another, said means comprising braces pinconnected to eachframe and articulated intermediate of their ends to move outward fromthe angle, means for supporting the front end of said similar frameclear of the track, said means comprising a rocking shaft supported fromthe under-frame of the car and extending across behind the hanging frameof the fender, levers secured on this shaft which levers arelink-connected to a rail extending across the lower end of the hangingframe, an advance rail having backwardly projecting members which areslidably mounted on the front rail of the fender frame, and linksconnecting the after ends of these backwardly projecting members to theends of the rocking shaft levers.

6. The combination of a main fender including a substantiallyrectangular fend-er frame suspended by the upper ends from the front endof the car and depending toward the track, having a similar framepinconnected to the lower end of the hanging frame, and bracesmaintaining these frames at right angles to one another, which bracesare articulated to enable the horizontal frame to be upfolded, strutssupporting the frame with its front rail clear of the track, whichstruts are articulated to break upward, means actuated from an advancerail supported in front of the fender for breaking these support strutsupward, a supplemental fender of similar form but not articulated tofold up, means for supporting this fender by articulated struts breakingupward, a hanging frame suspended from the under-frame of the car inadvance of the supplemental fender and means for connecting it to thearticulated struts to break them upward, means for connecting thisreleasing hanging frame to the releasing mechanism of the main fenderand means for op erating the releasing mechanism of both fenders fromwithin the car and for restoring that mechanism to its normal position.

7. In a car fender, the combination of a substantially rectangularfender frame the sides of which are L shaped and which frame issuspended from the body of the car, means for supporting the frame withthe lower rail of it clear of the track, said means comprisof the linkto the fender frame said levers and links thereby forming struts, across rail carried in front of the fender frame and susceptible of beingmoved backward by engagement with an obstruction on the track, means forconnecting this advance rail to the upwardly turned ends of the rockingshaft levers, and means operable from the front end of the car platformfor moving the rocking shaft levers upward to break the supportingstruts and for restoring the supporting struts to their normal position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT 1-1. POGUE.

Witnesses ROWLAND BRITTAIN, MAY WHYTE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

